04 · Stakeholders
WHAT TO CHECK
A stakeholder matters only in relation to a choice, resource or authorization. The same actor can be central for one decision and peripheral for another, so the map records the relevant scope and moment.
Power and interest are insufficient on their own. State how the actor can act, what the organisation depends on and which relationships may change influence.
A position is dated and linked to evidence. A declaration, vote, contract or change of responsibility can make the map obsolete and should trigger review.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Use the question “Which actors can accelerate, block or shift the decision, and by what mechanism?” as a contract: name the owner, deadline, scope and alternatives before collecting more material. The map extends a power-interest matrix with observed position, dependency, evidence and the next expected move. Record what is deliberately outside scope, who can challenge the framing and what consequence follows from postponement. This prevents an attractive framework, actor list or market story from silently replacing the decision that the analysis is meant to support.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
For every material statement, retain the original source, publication date, observation period, method, unit and relevant population. Distinguish observed facts, calculated estimates, interview judgements and assumptions. Connect the register to the promised output: An actionable map of actors, relationships, dependencies and decision thresholds. Missing or contradictory evidence remains visible with a responsible owner and a collection action; it is never converted into certainty merely to complete the page.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Define the rules before applying the analysis: inclusion criteria, identifiers, comparison set, calculation or coding convention, treatment of missing values and version date. Reproduce the same convention across every option or actor. Use the page checks as acceptance tests, beginning with “Define the decision before listing actors.” A conclusion is usable only when another practitioner can reconstruct how the inputs became the displayed result and identify where judgement entered.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Challenge the preferred interpretation with at least one plausible alternative, contradictory observation and sensitivity test. Separate association from prediction and never infer intent, power or causality from a position, score or visual proximity alone. The standing limit remains: A position assigned without an interview, act or source remains a hypothesis and must not become a definitive judgement about people. State which uncertainty is most likely to reverse the conclusion and what additional observation would discriminate between the competing explanations.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Turn the analysis into a dated decision record rather than a static page. Preserve the selected option, rejected alternatives, objections, accepted risks and first reversible action. Name the signal, numerical or qualitative threshold, review owner and review date that will confirm, adapt, pause or reopen the decision. Link every later update to its author and reason so that the history remains understandable when evidence or market conditions change.
LIMIT
